floor repair and exploration

I got the 3:1 hardener system so it cannot be used below 55 degrees. Thanks for all the tips guys.

Air206 wrote: Roger: Awesome tips! The logistics of doing stringers always floored me (pun intended)..... your words of wisdom are really helpful to many newbies trying to wrap their heads around all this. Thanks for taking the time to add........ AWESOME! Steve

Thanks Steve…you will find its not so much what you use but how you set your build up…biax is all about time pre cut all your layers, pour un mixed epoxy into mega cups and if using pumps pump out the right amount of hardener into smaller cups so if working alone its quick to mix a batch up…for me I found .5 liter plus hardener batches to start and adjust up or down to your biax … found my 6in wide biax would take 2 x .5 batches to soak a full stringer length biax pour straight from the mixing cup along the length of the biax around 1.5 in wide you will find it much quicker to then roller out into the biax than back and forth loading up a roller in a tray…remember that you won't use as much epoxy on the other side of the biax but if you have spare just push onto the next strip of biax on your lay up table.
Have lots mixing sticks and longer sticks that can be cut easy so if you have a real tight corner or a bit that won't stay down just put a small bit of plastic over the end and wedge off the hull/Old stringers untill it grabs…yes have a roller tray with a small amount of epoxy in for dabbing in as you go and somewhere to put the roller.
Take off some pictures from the site to check yourself as you go…if unsure stop and reset your self and have a fall back part you can use up wet biax…exhaust port,bracket mounts,lift mount.
You find this will give you plenty of time to lay your biax and not rushed.
Mark lines with a sharpie on one end of the roll of biax before you cut to size then its easy to see which way your laying.
Don't use the same drink cup as the ones your using as mixing pots…you will mix them up…
You will use more epoxy in a biax build than in a cloth build,and as you can see biax needs to be set up more.
More will post there ways …just pick which works for you as that will give the best results

Roger.

Hi Trey
If your laying Biax yes pre coat in epoxy only and let it sticky up on all faces before you wet up the Biax........you can lay straight after the pre coat if the shape is nice and uniform with slow bends ...but if its tight corners sticky helps grab the Biax as you spread out the air/folds.....I would recommend you do a small area first just to get a feel for it...don’t steam into an full stringer first.

uk1979 wrote: I would recommend you do a small area first just to get a feel for it

I agree... your line of questioning would imply that youve never worked with epoxy resin before. Am I right?

TRBenj wrote: uk1979 wrote: I would recommend you do a small area first just to get a feel for it I agree... your line of questioning would imply that youve never worked with epoxy resin before. Am I right?

Just with that first stringer and I just repaired my muffler...so other than that, no. I read in Bill's build that he used some thickener so it wouldn't run straight down the stringer. Roger didn't mention using any so I was just clarifying.

Looks great Trey, your a pro now…well done

Roger I went with your technique. It worked well. I really liked using the roller vs. paint brush...much faster.

In the places where the epoxy pooled it is distinctively smooth and I will sand those areas for sure before applying any more epoxy like to fair out the bilge. But what about areas where it is already rough like on top of the stringer or the area by the secondary stringer (most of it is rough as well) where I need to put more glass on when glassing the secondaries in. Do I need to sand those areas as well?

teelta wrote: Roger I went with your technique. It worked well. I really liked using the roller vs. paint brush...much faster. In the places where the epoxy pooled it is distinctively smooth and I will sand those areas for sure before applying any more epoxy like to fair out the bilge. But what about areas where it is already rough like on top of the stringer or the area by the secondary stringer (most of it is rough as well) where I need to put more glass on when glassing the secondaries in. Do I need to sand those areas as well?

Sorry Trey I didn't answer all your points....as for the rough tops of your stringers how many layers are on them now....when you say 3 layers is that 3 complete layers ... if so then as you work on the other stringers at the end of each batch of epoxy keep the left over’s in a tray as it stiffens up roll or brush over the tops or add some thickening you have and spread over ,the more you work with it you will see when it just right consistency to level out like in your bilge has in parts (a bit like honey).......it will still need to be pre sanded before each coat.

When you cut out your secondary stringer you will need to grind back the old glass and as you go along the new main side feather (lightly grind) the edge back slopping down onto the hull around a inch or so to give a smooth lap, over the rest of the biax 60 or 80 if hand sanding.

Measure the thickness of the finished stringer against the unfinished wood for the other side divide by 2 and that will give you a good Idea of what to allow for the biax so your cradle will fit back in.......I would then add an extra 3/16 for squeak room/epoxy paint.    

teelta wrote:

Sorry Trey I didn't answer all your points....as for the rough tops of your stringers how many layers are on them now....
[/QUOTE]

Just one layer over the top. the 3 layers bonded to the side of the stringer to the hull.[/QUOTE]

Trey, I would add another layer of biax to the top of the stringers.....try to run the 45 degree layer the other way to the one already laid, it’s not just for strength but to full enclose the wood stringer to stop moisture entering them, one layer could crack/damage over time.

Once your done work out the thickness of the biax on the new and you can cut a notch out of the old and measure how thick it was remember there is around 1/16 + of gel over it, the new will be stronger than the old, my guess is there be around the same as your boat is a 89 and CC would have refined there methods from my old 78.      

Looks great Trey...as for the side I would Epoxy over with layers of cloth first start with a inch or so bigger than the thin area and each layer you add should over lap by a inch or so, say 3 or 4 layers then 3 layers of biax to finish....it is key to make sure there are no air gaps on the first cloth layers...if you are right at the back of the gel a air gap could blister later on.
Now with your epoxy skills this repair is easy     

Roger, that is a lot of glass. That will be much thicker than what is there now. What I'm wondering is...the area will be glassed over anyway when I glass the floor so is it necessary to put anything on it now before the floor goes in?
Also wondering what is it? What is the area I sanded into that is white with dotted pattern?

I am about to cut out the plywood section that goes in front of engine. There was nothing left of the wood I took out so I can't use as a template. The only measurement I am not sure of is where the hole goes for the ski pylon. If anyone has an 89 SN, can you provide me the measurements as well as size of hole? Does carpet go down inside hole?

The floor in that area was toast when I did mine too. When I got to this point I made a cardboard template for the placement of the pylon.

Insert a small screwdriver in the cup by the handle and make sure it is straight and then set the floor section down and let the screwdriver mark where the hole needs to be.

I will be near my boat this weekend, I can take some measurements if you can wait